Stopper for pour ladles



A915116, 1940- l.. F. BRUCE STOPPER FOR POUR LADLES Filed llay 12, 1958 vPatented Apr. 16, 1940 STOPPER FOR POUR LADLES Louis F. Bruce, Orange, N. J.,

assignor to Joseph Dixon Crucible Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 12, 1938, Serial No. 207,498

Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in stopper devices for lpour ladles for containing molten metal, Awhich is discharged from the ladles through a hole in the bottom thereof'. Such 5 ladles are commonly composed of metal and the v hole in the bottom thereof through which the molten material is discharged is usually formed ably connected with a lever known as a gooseneck by which the stopper is operated.

A stopper of this description comprising a graphite composition head or valve proper, adapted to close the valve seat, and an elongatedv clay sleeve, should haye atleast a lifecoincident with a normal days work of from six to ten hours durationI which the ladle is repeatedly filled and emptied. The molten materialfiritroduced into and vdischarged from the ladle is usually of a temperature of about 2500 F. Under these conditions of operation, in order that the ladle may be eiective throughout the whole of a day'fsoperations, it is necessary vthat no molten material reach the metal bolt holding the stopper head and sleeve together in axial alinement. However, as these devices have heretofore been constructed, the metal material does occasionally work into the joint between the stopper head and the sleeve, with the result that the metal composing the bolt is eaten away,so that not only must the stopper device be replaced but frequently the pouring of metal contained in the ladles is lost, or diiculties experienced in removing the stopper head from the valve opening.

To obviate the diflculties experienced heretofore in connection with Stoppers for pour ladles, the present invention provides a stopper so constructed that the molten material in the ladle is effectively prevented from penetrating through the joint between the stopper head and the sleeve and iinding access to the bolt which holds the 50 head and the sleeve together. Another feature of the invention is the provision of a sleeve of improved construction which aids in the manipulation of the stopper as a whole and reduces the cost of production thereof. To these ends the 55 improved stopper for pour ladles consists in the structure hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The preferred form of the improved stopper device for pour ladles constituting the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying draw- 5 ing which is a longitudinal, vertical section through the improved stopper device. The pour ladle itself is not illustrated, it being of the usual construction and having a Vcapacity of about 1000 lbs. of molten metal. The opening through which 10 the molten metal is discharged from the ladle is fitted with a valve seat indicated by the reference numeral I and composed of a graphite or clay composition. The discharge opening 2 through the valve seat is normally closed by a stopper head 15 3 the lower rounded end 4 thereof being adapted to rest against the circular valve seat 5. The sleeve section of the improved stopper is indicated at 6 and is as usual composed of clay. The

stopper head 3 and the sleeve 6 are held in ver- 20 tical alinement by means of the metal bolt 1 the upper end of which passes through the outer free end 8 of the lever or gooseneck for operating the stopper, the proper tension on the bolt for holding the head 3 and sleeve 6 together be- 25 ing secured by the series of washers 9 and the nut I0. The head II of the bolt 1 is located in a recess I2 in the lower end of the stopper head 3 and the shaft of the bolt is smaller than the axial hole I3 in the head and the axial bore Il 30 in the sleeve, and these spaces are usually iilled with heat resistant material composed of clay'as indicated at I5.

The upper end ofthe stopper head 3 is provided with a plurality of circular shoulders or terraces, in the present instance two, the lower shoulder IB being in the form of a truncated cone and the upper shoulder I1 being in the form of a short cylinder smaller in diameter than the upper end of the shoulder I6. These shoulders 40 I6 and I1 are suitably smaller than and are received withincorresponding recesses I8 and I9 respectively, in the lower end of the sleeve 6. The circumferential spaces between the shoulders I6 and I1 and the corresponding recesses in the lower 45 end of the sleeve 6 are lled with a mixture of clay or graphite composition 20. The upper faces of the stopper 3 left by forming the shoulders I6 and I 'I and the corresponding lower faces left by forming the recesses in the lower end of the A sleeve 6 constitute a tight joint designed to exciude metal from access to the bolt 1, but in case some molten metal should leak into this joint it is prevented from reaching the bolt by means of the packing of clay and graphite indicated at 5s y:au mung the spaces between the shoulders vHs lower end of the `sleeve 6. In addition to this guarding against access of the molten material to the bolt 1 there is the usual sleeve oi.' graphite and clay immediately surrounding the bolt. Thus by Jmeans of the new connection between the head of the stopper and the lower end of the sleeve the molten material is eectively prevented from access .to the bolt.

Itis desirable for the utmost efficiency in oper--v ation that the stopper device or structure be as light as possible consistent with strength and resistance to the attack of the molten metal in which the stopper device operates'. It has been found that increased effectiveness is prduced.

bytapering the sleeve 6 from its lower end where it contacts with the upper end of the stopper 3 to its upper end on which rests the series of resilient washers 9, thereby considerably decreasing the weight of the stopper device 'as a whole over former constructions without weakening the structure, and with increased 'eiectiveness Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is: Y

1. A stopper for pour ladles provided with a valve seat surrounding a valve opening, comprising a head adapted to rest against the seat to lclose the valve opening, one end of said head I being provided with a plurality of shoulders smaller in diameter than the head, an elongatedv sleeve one end of which is provided` with a plurality of recesses corresponding to and slightly larger than the shoulders on the head and adapted to cooperate with the shoulders when the head and sleeve are in assembled position ,to form annular channels, and means for holding the head and the sleeve in axial alinement, the annular channels between the shoulders and the walls of the recesses and the spaces between the holding means and the head and the sleeve being adapted to be filled with a heat resisting material.

2. A stopper for pour ladles provided with a valve seat surrounding the valve opening, comprising 'a tubular head adapted to rest against the seat to closev the opening, one end of said head being provided with a plurality of circular shoulders) of varying diameters, an elongated sleeve having at one end a plurality o'fcircular recesses corresponding to and slightly larger than the shouldersl on the head and cooperating therewith to form annular channels, and means for 4holding the head and the sleeve in axial alinement, the annular channels between the shoulders on the head and the recesses in the sleeve and between the holding means and the head and the sleeve being lled with ar heat vresisting material.

3. A stopper for pour ladlesprovided with ay valve seat, comprising a graphite composition' `head adapted to rest against the seat, an elonf alinement J 4. A vertically-arranged stopper for pour ladles provided with a circular valve seat surrounding a vvalve opening, comprising a tubular head composed of a graphite composition the lower end of which is adapted to rest against the vcircular valve seat to close the opening thereof,

the upper end of said head being-provided with a pluralityl of circular shoulders diminishing in size inwardly, a sleeve tapered upwardly from its 25 lower end, the lower end of said sleeve being provided With a plurality of circular recesses corresponding to and slightlylarger than the circular shoulders on the upper end of, the head to form annular channels, and a bolt for holding the headand sleeve together in axial alinement, the channels between the head a'nd the sleeve and the bolt and the head and the sleeve being lled with heat resisting material.

5. A stopper for pour ladles provided with a valve seat surrounding a valve opening comprising a head member adapted to rest against the seat to close the valve opening, an elongated sleeve member having one end interttingly engaged with said head, means for holding the head and sleeve member in axial alinement, the intertting engagement including a stepped formation on one of said members to provide a plurality of, annular shoulders having their walls extending in the general longitudinal direction of said head, and the adjacent end of the' other member being recessed with the wall of the recess stepped to provide annular walls corresponding to the annular walls of the stepped formation on the other member with the annular walls of the first named member slightly larger than the walls of. the second named member to provide annular channels and said annular channels adapted to be filled with a heat resisting material.

LOUIS F. BRUCE. 

